1 Thessalonians 2:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The word “wrath,” ή όργ", with the article, shows that they have deserved it, and that it has been appointed and foretold. Having comforted the Thessalonians by pointing out that they have many fellow-participants in temptations, he now also comforts them by indicating that their oppressors will be punished.

“Wrath has come upon them to the end.” There are no grounds for referring these words to the fact of Jerusalem’s destruction. If this were so, references to such an extraordinary event would appear elsewhere in the epistle, and here this event would be depicted more definitely. The Apostle Paul was here reading, so to speak, the signs of the times, the coming fate of God-opposing and stiff-necked Jewry.

“As from what the Apostle himself suffered he proved above that he preached what is divine, so from what the Thessalonians endured he now proves that the Thessalonians received his preaching as the Word of God,” says Oecumenius.

Saint Chrysostom speaks in the Apostle’s person: “How would you, the Thessalonians, have endured such dangers if you had not given heed to our words as to the words of God Himself? If even the Jews resolved to endure everything patiently for the faith, this serves as no small proof that the preaching is true.

But perhaps the Jews did not know Him, the Lord? On the contrary, they knew Him very well. What then? Did they not kill and stone their own prophets, whose writings they carry everywhere? Certainly they did not act so out of love for the truth. Therefore the Apostle not only offers consolation in temptations, but also persuades them not to think that the Jews acted so out of love for the truth, and not to be tempted by this.

If the Gospel must be preached to the whole world, and the Jews oppose this, then they are common enemies of the world. Having said, ‘wrath has come upon them,’ the Apostle showed that wrath must certainly follow, for it was appointed and foretold.”

“Clearly,” says Bishop Theophan, “the Apostle has in view the Lord’s prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Hebrew people. They go against the course, determined by God, of the restoration of mankind. Therefore they are not worthy to be preserved.

When the Apostle wrote this, the beginnings of oppression from the Romans had already appeared. They made it clear that what the Lord had foretold was near fulfillment. Not loving God, the Jews are also ill-disposed toward men and always go against what God sends for men’s benefit.

They have zeal, but not according to knowledge (Rom 10:2). They think they offer service to God (Jn 16:2), but in deed they oppose Him. Their displeasing of God and opposition to men is clearly visible in their hindering the preaching of the Gospel. They do not want it to pass to the nations and save them. This is why a final wrathful punishment follows upon them.”

It is worthy of note that the Apostle considers the persecutors of the Thessalonian Christians to be pagans. This, of course, was so according to the Apostle’s description, whereas during his own time the Jews chiefly rose against him. Thus there is no disagreement between Saint Paul’s testimony (1 Thess 2:14–16) and the book of Acts (17:5), on the basis of which ill-disposed investigators draw various unfavorable conclusions.

Having in view this Jewish influence upon the Thessalonians, the Apostle points out with special insistence that the Jews are a people satisfied with nothing. They killed the Messiah and even their own (τούς ίδιους) prophets. If they now explain their struggle against the Apostle of the Gentiles as zeal for the glory of God, they must in no way be believed. They are not pleasing to God and arouse aversion in men by their pride and their dreadful national egoism. But they will soon be punished. The wrath of God against them has already come to the end, that is, it is ready to break forth over the sinful people.

So as always to fill up their sins. Everywhere the word of God speaks thus of God's judgments: terrible punishments overtake men when the measure of sins is filled up, as for example in Gen 15:17. God instructs sinners in every way. But when they stubbornly reject God's saving arrangements concerning them, then God gives them over into the hands of their own will.

Then, adding sins to sins, they fill up the measure of sins and exhaust God's longsuffering. Inexorable judgment follows. The Apostle speaks as if saying: they act this way so that it may be said of them that they filled up the measure of their sins always, at every time, in every period of their historical life, before the Lord Jesus, during His time, and after Him, throughout their whole history.

It was permitted them to rise up against us and against the Lord Himself, so that even in this period they would not be without an act of fighting against God (Photius in Oecumenius). They did so much evil to the ancient prophets, and in our time to Christ the Lord and to us, so that their sins might always be filled up. Since they always acted in this way, they were always filling up their sins.

Or the Apostle wants to say: they sinned before, but it was still bearable. But when at last they rose up against God Himself and His holy Gospel, by this the measure of their sins was filled. They can no longer be endured. The Lord said: "And you fill up the measure of your fathers" (Mt 23:32), that is, complete what was lacking in them.

In this case always will mean forever, as when we say: once and for all, that is, finally. Theophylact writes: "They did and do this to the ancient prophets, then to Christ, and finally to us, in order to show that they hasten to reach the full measure of sins, their utmost limit."

But the wrath of God has come upon them to the end. Has come to the end means that the measure of longsuffering has been fulfilled. The final determination of God's judgment upon them has taken place, and their lot has been decided. Thus Chrysostom says: "By saying the wrath has come, the Apostle showed that it must inevitably follow, for it has been appointed and foretold."

Or it may be understood thus: the wrath of God always followed after them, and now it has overtaken them and come close. It is about to thunder forth. Or to the end means final wrath. It will strike completely, there will be no restoration, and no mercy is to be expected.

It is evident that the Apostle has in view the Lord's prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the people. They sinned before, and God punished them with a view to correction. Now, however, a final wrathful punishment follows for resistance to God's purposes, which were so manifest and so saving both for them and for all men.

Without these purposes, men cannot attain their own end. They go contrary to the God-appointed course of humanity's restoration. Therefore they are not worthy to be preserved. When the Apostle wrote this, the beginnings of oppression by the Romans had already appeared. They indicated that what the Lord had foretold was near its fulfillment.

Saint Chrysostom says of this: "For them there will no longer be what there was before. There is no time for repentance. There is no place for God's longsuffering. Inevitable wrath is coming. From what is this evident? From Christ's prophecy."

With particular force Oecumenius paraphrases this apostolic accusation of the Jews: "The Apostle brings a great accusation against the Jews. For he says that everything the Jews did, they did with the purpose of sinning. That is, they found pleasure in sins and sinned, so as to fill up their sins, as if in this way: they sinned as though paying a debt with sins.

Let them say that they killed the Lord out of ignorance. But why did they beat the prophets, who were honored? Why did they drive us out? Why do they do evil to you? Why do they hinder the Gentiles from being saved? If the conversion of the Gentiles to Christ is good, why, while not being converted themselves, do they place obstacles before the conversion of others? But if they do not consider this good, why do they envy those who are converted? And what business do they have with the Gentiles?

Do you see how they sin from sheer love of sin and do everything to fill up their sins, that is, so that they may never remain without sins? For this reason, he says, the wrath of God has already come upon them to the end. Wrath always pursued them when they sinned, but it was restrained, giving room for repentance. Now, however, it has overtaken them.

Wrath, he orge with the article, shows that what is meant here is that very wrath which long ago should have fallen upon them. To the end means that it will no longer be as before: slavery and again liberation, captivity and again return, the wrath of God and again mercy. Now the wrath of God is upon them to the end. There will no longer be deliverance from calamities."